Del.icio.us is a cloud-based social bookmarking tool. This means that this website allows users to share, arrange, and explore bookmarks of internet resources. Social bookmarking is not file sharing, but the referencing of information. Users can create a bookmark using one computer and access that bookmark on a different computer anywhere in the world. Once they have created a bookmark, they can add tags, which are keywords, to make them searchable. So, if someone was looking for bookmarks on Assistive technology they would plug that phrase into their search and they could search within their bookmarks or those of other Del.icio.us users. Their results would show a list of all their bookmarks pertaining to assistive technology. In a classroom setting students would be able to search each other’s bookmarks. Del.icio.us allows users to follow people with similar interests who are accessed via the “network” tab. If a user does not have a network they can create one by following people who interest them. They can share their links with their network. This might be too much for the classroom setting, but it does open up possibilities for maybe High School or college students working on major research projects who could use these networks to help them find resources for their projects.
Users can also add a comment or description of the site being bookmarked. Once they save the bookmark they can go to “My Links” and it will appear in Del.icio.us with the name, tags, and comments clearly visible. They can do searches within their links or within Del.icio.us. To make bookmarks searchable to others they have to be made public.
Del.icio.us could be a great tool for classroom teachers who have students who have to share computers. Imagine a Middle School iPad day-user working on a major project. All his sources are neatly bookmarked and he has access to them because he is assigned to a specific iPad. What happens when the iPad breaks down unexpectedly and he has to use a different one? All his bookmarks are temporarily inaccessible and he has to start from scratch. If he used a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us he would have immediate access to his bookmarks regardless of the machine he is using. He just needs to log into Del.icio.us and all his bookmarks will be there for him to use. If he decides to do some more work at home, he can access his bookmarks there too without any problems.
To use Del.icio.us the user has to create an account or use Facebook, Twitter or Google. The free version has annoying ads that goads users to upgrade with irritating messages. One ad is prominently featured at the top of the page and advertises for Fantasy Football which might be considered inappropriate for young students. One drawback of social bookmarking with tools like Del.icio.us is that there no system in place, so everybody bookmarks however they choose to. So, a site that discusses assistive technology might be tagged as “special needs” by one user and “assistive technology” by another. So users beware.
2. Screen Shot
3. Possible uses in the classroom including grade level relevancy, evaluation of the ease and probability of use
Del.icio.us as social bookmarking tool could be a blessing for teachers. It is best suited for students in Middle school and up, but students should learn to use social bookmarking early for it to be beneficial.In many school students share computers and thus can never count on their bookmarks not being erased by someone else. Social bookmarking solves that problems. Since the bookmarks are saved in the cloud the students have access to them regardless of the machine they are using. Thus they do not have to try and use the same iPad all the time.Del.icio.us is easy to use and the teacher would need to devote 10 minutes of class time to get students up and running.I think that there is a very high probability that Del.icio.us will be used in classrooms because it benefits the teacher and students.
4) Possible uses with diverse learners
Del.icio.us can help students with learning disabilities organize resources in one place. It is also provides a space for social networking with peers through shared educational resources. Visual and auditory learners may enjoy this tool because of the wide variety of material that can be bookmarked. Del.i.cio.us allows you to bookmark text and audio resources.
1. Description
Del.icio.us is a cloud-based social bookmarking tool. This means that this website allows users to share, arrange, and explore bookmarks of internet resources. Social bookmarking is not file sharing, but the referencing of information. Users can create a bookmark using one computer and access that bookmark on a different computer anywhere in the world. Once they have created a bookmark, they can add tags, which are keywords, to make them searchable. So, if someone was looking for bookmarks on Assistive technology they would plug that phrase into their search and they could search within their bookmarks or those of other Del.icio.us users. Their results would show a list of all their bookmarks pertaining to assistive technology. In a classroom setting students would be able to search each other’s bookmarks. Del.icio.us allows users to follow people with similar interests who are accessed via the “network” tab. If a user does not have a network they can create one by following people who interest them. They can share their links with their network. This might be too much for the classroom setting, but it does open up possibilities for maybe High School or college students working on major research projects who could use these networks to help them find resources for their projects.
Users can also add a comment or description of the site being bookmarked. Once they save the bookmark they can go to “My Links” and it will appear in Del.icio.us with the name, tags, and comments clearly visible. They can do searches within their links or within Del.icio.us. To make bookmarks searchable to others they have to be made public.
Del.icio.us could be a great tool for classroom teachers who have students who have to share computers. Imagine a Middle School iPad day-user working on a major project. All his sources are neatly bookmarked and he has access to them because he is assigned to a specific iPad. What happens when the iPad breaks down unexpectedly and he has to use a different one? All his bookmarks are temporarily inaccessible and he has to start from scratch. If he used a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us he would have immediate access to his bookmarks regardless of the machine he is using. He just needs to log into Del.icio.us and all his bookmarks will be there for him to use. If he decides to do some more work at home, he can access his bookmarks there too without any problems.
To use Del.icio.us the user has to create an account or use Facebook, Twitter or Google. The free version has annoying ads that goads users to upgrade with irritating messages. One ad is prominently featured at the top of the page and advertises for Fantasy Football which might be considered inappropriate for young students. One drawback of social bookmarking with tools like Del.icio.us is that there no system in place, so everybody bookmarks however they choose to. So, a site that discusses assistive technology might be tagged as “special needs” by one user and “assistive technology” by another. So users beware.
2. Screen Shot
3. Possible uses in the classroom including grade level relevancy, evaluation of the ease and probability of use
Del.icio.us as social bookmarking tool could be a blessing for teachers. It is best suited for students in Middle school and up, but students should learn to use social bookmarking early for it to be beneficial.In many school students share computers and thus can never count on their bookmarks not being erased by someone else. Social bookmarking solves that problems. Since the bookmarks are saved in the cloud the students have access to them regardless of the machine they are using. Thus they do not have to try and use the same iPad all the time.Del.icio.us is easy to use and the teacher would need to devote 10 minutes of class time to get students up and running.I think that there is a very high probability that Del.icio.us will be used in classrooms because it benefits the teacher and students.4) Possible uses with diverse learners
Del.icio.us can help students with learning disabilities organize resources in one place. It is also provides a space for social networking with peers through shared educational resources. Visual and auditory learners may enjoy this tool because of the wide variety of material that can be bookmarked. Del.i.cio.us allows you to bookmark text and audio resources.5) A sample work and/or a tutorial/video